PETplanet

A few words about Yerevan. I was surprised to learn that it is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, dating back nearly three thousand years. It lies in the valley of Mount Ararat, where biblical tradition holds that Noah built his ark. The city, and Armenia itself, have seen

Following the pattern of the past few days I am up with the lark. It is still dark. The petrol pump attendant is also awake and regarding with interest the goings-on around the vehicle. (I’ve just stepped outside to get a bit of fresh air). Across the road, there is another

Another early start, heralded this time not by my alarm clock but by the urgent call of the muezzin. Today I am going to try to get to Yerevan, but whether I will get there or not remains to be seen. Who knows what the roads will be like? We will

A quiet night in Altintas. No rain and no street noise. The only disturbance is the muezzin calling the faithful to morning prayer at 5.00am. I wake up briefly then go back to sleep until 6. The distances between calls are now noticeably longer and I have to leave in the

It is about 8 am when I get back on the road. During the night there was heavy rain and a fierce storm, so much so that the rain hammering on the roof kept me awake. Before me is Istanbul, a grey and monotonous sight due to the continuous rain and

Today I take my leave of Sofia and point the Editourmobil in the direction of Turkey. Victor, the Iveco manager, had put his premises at my disposal for a further night, which was handy as it is situated directly on the motorway for Istanbul. There is yet another change in the

I have a lot to write about but my priority is to get the broken windscreen repaired. After a rapid breakfast, I bring all the visit reports and notes from yesterday up to date, and then, thanks to efficient backup from our Heidelberg office, I make contact with the local Iveco

Two appointments today which I assumed were close to Sofia. To my dismay, I discover that they are 150 km to the northeast. It’s raining cats and dogs, and the numerous potholes on the highway are full of water. I eventually arrive at Saedinenie where I meet up with Gotmar, who

We are now heading for Sofia. The road stretches before me and it’s not long before the highway gives way to a kind of country road where progress is slow. At least this gives me plenty of time to think about my experiences so far. The landscape is changing. The gentle

The alarm goes off. It seems horrendously early to me. Outside it is still dark, or at least it looks like it, and then I notice that, for the first time on the trip, the sky is completely overcast. Later, as I am making the coffee, I suddenly realise that I

All good things must come to an end and in this case, that means the weather. When I get up, it’s pouring with rain and overnight the temperature has dropped by about 15 degrees. It’s perishing cold, at least until the Editourmobil heating system starts to crank into action. Big plans